


{eclipse}

by watanukitty



Series: Kindling [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Matrix AU, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2017-04-30
Packaged: 2018-10-25 18:28:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10769916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watanukitty/pseuds/watanukitty
Summary: We blocked out the sun.





	{eclipse}

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt fill: The Matrix AU. 
> 
> originally posted on tumblr.

Azula suppresses a shiver as she stares into the bowels of the sewers. Even with Yue's thorough explanation, there's still so much to be understood---she's so lost in her reverie that she doesn't hear the footsteps behind her.

"You know, the gears in your head are louder than the noises this old ship makes."

She just about jumped in her skin. Her instincts screamed and she went into a defensive stance. Sokka is lucky that bending doesn't exist real world--he would have had a bolt of lightning straight between his eyes.

"You got pretty good muscle movement for a coppertop," He chuckles as he stands beside her.

"Says the one who was unplugged just six months before me," Azula drawls, stepping aside and wounding her arms around herself.

Sokka scoffs. "That's still ages ahead of you."

A tense silence falls between them. A series of small beeps then rings inside the cockpit, followed by a soft flash of green light. Sokka sighs.

"No sentinels," he says.

"No sentinels..." Azula repeats, still staring into the darkness.

"So. Whatcha doing out here?"

She almost jokes about staging a mutiny, just to get a reaction. Maybe rile him up a bit.

But she indulges him instead.

"I was...thinking," she answers.

"Hmm...'bout what?"

She didn't know where to start. "The...the sun."

Sokka turns to look at her. "The sun?"

Azula nods. "We blocked out the sun, right?"

"Well...yeah," Sokka shrugs. "I mean at first I thought that was a pretty idiotic move but then I myself staged an attack during a---"

"No one alive has seen the sun."

"What?" 

"No one has seen the sun," she says again, catching his gaze.

"N-no," Sokka stammers, his eyes searching her face. 

Azula breaks their eye contact to look back at the ruins of the old world. "Firebenders always rise with the sun."

Sokka swallows a lump in his throat. That's another part of her life, seemingly gone.

"What? Smellerbee's yelling and door-banging doesn't do it for you?"

She glares.

"You know..." he starts, "they say it's all in the head."

Azula laughs. "You didn't tell me you were talking to my orderlies in the asylum."

Sokka grits his teeth. "Azula, you know what I mean!"

"Free your mind, right?"

"Damn straight," he answers. "Sun or no sun, you can still bend in there."

"Why won't you?" She asks suddenly, her golden eyes boring into his.

"Won't what?"

"Bend. In the Matrix."

"Oh," he mutters, scratching his head. "I guess I could if I wanted, huh?"

Azula nods.

Sokka gives a pause. He honestly hadn't thought of it until now. "I dunno. I guess I prefer my swordbending," he says, grinning. Azula nods again, but doesn't say anything.

"So all in the head?" Azula asks him after a moment.

"All in the head," Sokka answers, with a hint of smile on his face.

The silence that falls over them is time is easy, more relaxed. A small clatter comes from the mess hall, followed by a muffled stream of curses.

"That's Jet. Looks like your shift is next," she says, glancing at him from the side of her eye.

"Shit, yeah. Bastard must be stealing some moonshine. I better get going--and Azula?"

"Yes?" She answers, lifting her head to fully look at him.

"If you're having a hard time for wake up call, I can always do the honors," Sokka says, his toothy grin making her wish she had her lightning still.

"You're so full of shit."

"Something the sewers and I have in common then," Sokka laughs. "Get some sleep. You have Construct training tomorrow."

She rolls her eyes. "I'm not taking orders from you, _peasant_.

"I wasn't ordering you around, _Princess_ , Sokka grumbles in a mock of her tone. "it was a suggestion: ever heard of it?"

"Shut up," Azula says.

"And a good night to you too," Sokka calls out, and salutes before exiting the cockpit. Azula watches him leave, and shakes her head. Despite herself, she's smiling.


End file.
